Recommendations: K - 6

What happened to... Meridian Meridian was a series that was met with great success with both teachers and children. Unfortunately, the publisher, CrossGen, went out of business in 2004, and thus Meridian is no longer available. Ranma 1/2 One of the manga titles we are most often asked about is Ranma 1/2. ComicReaders no longer recommends this book for all ages or teens because of its occassional depiction of cartoon-like nudity, which has caused some conern in the classroom / school environment.

The following graphic novels are recommended based on ComicReaders' years of experience in the industry. Teachers and librarians have given us positive feedback that these graphic novels were found to be age appropriate for their own classroom or library collections.

With that said, the particular demographics of your own library or classroom may differ from those schools ComicReaders has worked with, so the best judge of age appropriateness is going to be you. If you have questions or feedback about any of the graphic novels appearing on this list, please contact us at contact@comicreaders.com.

All titles can be ordered through ComicReaders. Send us an email at contact@comicreaders.com if you wish to add any of these graphic novels to your library or classroom collection.

Age of Reptiles volume 1: Tribal Warfare
by Ricardo Delgado
All ages

Thundering herds of lizards roam Cretaceous America, and the earth trembles with their passage. Enormous yet graceful meat-eaters shred the still-living meat from the bones of placid plant-eating saurians. Tyrannosaurus rex, the most fearsome carnivore that ever lived, is king. But even T-rex isn't safe from the greedy eyes and the ravenous appetites of a band of bird-quick Deinonychus. A tale from an age before humans and language, Age of Reptiles: Tribal Warfare is a 128-page epic told entirely in pictures.

Feedback: Age of Reptiles depicts the eat-or-be-eaten reality of nature. ComicReaders had considered pulling this graphic novel off its recommended list, but teachers told us the predatory violence seen in Age of Reptiles is not uncommon in books about dinosaurs. Also, we've been told this is one graphic novel that gets even the most relunctant of readers to sit down and open a book with its detailed, beutiful drawings of dinosaurs.

Akiko volume 1
by Mark Crilley
Ages 7 and up

Sky pirates! Sleeslup Worms! Ice cream trucks in outer space! These are just a few of the wild and wondrous creations that await you in Akiko volume 1, the first book in Mark Crilley's epic Alia Rellapor trilogy. Summer vacation has only just begun when 4th grader Akiko is whisked off to a distant galaxy and put in charge of a perilous mission on the planet Smoo, where she soon gets a crash course in adventure that will dazzle and delight readers of all ages. Dive in and discover the rollicking writing and eye-popping artwork that earned Akiko a spot on Entertainment Weekly's "It List".

Amelia Rules!: The Whole World's Crazy
by Jimmy Gownley
Ages 7 and up

New school, new friends, new life are what's in store for nine-year old Amelia Louise Bride. Told with hip wit and charm, and drawn in classic strip style, Amelia Rules! is a book kids will love to read, and adults will love to read with them. Amelia Rules is a collection of one to two page strips, making for easy, episodic reading.

Feedback: Amelia Rules! has been a bestseller at conferences ComicReaders has attended.

Bone volume 1: Out from Boneville
by Jeff Smith
All ages

After being run out of Boneville, the three Bone cousins - Fone Bone, Phoney Bone and Smiley Bone, are separated and lost in a vast uncharted desert. One by one, they find their way into a deep forested valley filled with wonderful and strange creatures. Follow the adventures of the three Bone cousins as they strike out from Boneville to find their destiny.

Feedback: Bone is one of the most well received graphic novels available, appealing to children of all ages, and adults. If you are starting a graphic novel collection or simply wish to try out graphic novels on your own to see if they would be a good edition to your library, you cannot go wrong with Bone. Bone volume 1 is another bestseller.

Clan Apis
by Jay Hosler
Ages 7 and up

Clan Apis is the biography a honey bee named Nyuki. Written and drawn by biologist Jay Hosler, this story explores an elaborate insect society. Nyuki has a lot to learn about life in the hive and not much time to do it. But, with help of her sister Dvorah, a dung beetle named Sisyphus and a sarcastic flower named Bloomington, she might have a chance to figure it all out. Clan Apis was a recipent of a 1998 Xeric Award and has been nominated for 3 Ignatz Awards (1999: Outstanding Series; 2000: Outstanding Series & Outstanding Graphic Novel or Collection) and 3 Eisner Awards (2000: Best Limited Series, Best Title for a Younger Audience & Best Writer/Artist-Humor).

Feedback: Clan Apis' combination of cute, detailed illustrations, science and good storytelling has made it a favourite of teachers and children. Clan Apis has been a bestseller at Teacher / Librarian conferences ComicReaders has attended.

Scary Godmother
by Jill Thompson
Ages 7 and up

Santa Claus? The Tooth Fairy? The Easter Bunny? Who can children count on for Halloween, the scariest holiday of the year? Why, their Scary Godmother, of course! This is the story of Hannah Marie, a young girl whose best friends live in a spooky place known as the Fright Side. Filled with ghouls, vampires and werewolves, the Fright Side is a mystical land where all the monsters dwell--and Scary Godmother is at the center of it all! This charming series of story books and graphic novels is perfect for all ages.

Feedback: The Scary Godmother books were bestsellers at the recent Saskatchewan School Library Association Conference 2005 held in Regina, Saskatchewan. Teachers, librarians and students are fans of the big, bright illustrations and the witty stories within.

Usagi Yojimbo volume 2: Samurai
by Stan Sakai
Ages 7 and up

Stan Sakai moves back in time to chronicle the infancy and adolescence of his long-eared samurai-- and the result combines the excitement of a classic martial-arts movie with the unique charm of a cartoon epic. Usagi Yojimbo is one of the better comic books available, and children and adults alike, will enjoy this epic samurai classic.

Feedback: The epic tale (currently 18 volumes are in print) begins with volume 2. The anapamorphic characters appeal to younger readers, while older readers enjoy the historical elements of the story, including accurate character dress and Japanese customs. Usagi Yojimbo features sword-play and some cartoon-like violence.